Caspian Journal of Reproductive Medicine
Volume:7 Issue: 1, Winter-Spring 2021

Since the emergence of the pandemic of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) through severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in late 2019, we still have little knowledge about the mechanisms of pathogenesis of COVID-19. Surprisingly, early studies reported that men are more susceptible to COVID-19 compared to women. These findings raise the question of whether COVID-19 infection can negatively affect male fertility. Since angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) receptor, known as the entrance rout of virus into human cells abundantly on testicular cells, it is hypothesized that the virus can also have devastating effects male fertility.

The present study was conducted a narrative review of the literature on male infertility and COVID-19. We searched PubMed, Scopus, and Google scholar for papers. Full-text journal articles between the years 2019 and 2020 were reviewed for relevant articles.

There is emerging finding, which provides support for the susceptibility of male reproduction health to COVID-19 infection. In the current review article, we documented an overview of male reproductive function manifestations and the possible male infertility mechanisms of COVID-19 infection. Certainly, clarifying the mechanism of these findings will lead to the timely management and treatment of infected patients.

This review suggests that male counseling about their fertility and the evaluation of their reproductive system function should be performed.

 Weakened pelvic floor muscles can affect the female sexual response cycle phases: desire, arousal, lubrication and orgasm. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between pelvic floor muscle strength and sexual function in non-pregnant women and examine the influence of the number of pregnancies.

 This observational study was conducted on 48 pregnant women (24 primigravid and 24 multigravid women with the age range of 25 to 40 years in Belagavi city. The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) questionnaire was used to evaluate the sexual function. The floor muscle strength was evaluated by vaginal using the oxford scale. Spearman correlation tests was used to check the strength and direction of the linear relationships between pairs of variables.

 The mean age of the women was 37.08±5 years. Female sexual function was positively correlated with pelvic floor muscle strength (rho= 0.50, P= 0.001). Pelvic floor muscle was negatively correlated with age (rho= -0.37, P= 0.010) and parity (rho= -0.52, P= 0.001). In addition, female sexual function was negatively correlated with age (rho= -0.41, P= 0.004) and parity (rho = -0.52, P= 0.001).

 The results suggest that multigravida women have lower pelvic floor muscle strength and worse sexual function than primigravid women.

 Pancreatic pseudocyst is an encapsulated collection of enzymatic fluid with a well-constructed inflammatory wall bounded by fibrous tissues. However, this remains a rare occurrence in the setting of pregnancy, occurring in as low as 1 in 60,000 gravidas. With such a dearth in the obstetric presentation of pancreatic pseudocysts, no standard treatment guidelines to cater to the condition have been established. In this report, a 24-year-old patient was presented with upper abdominal pain, fever, and nausea in the 24th week of gestational age, which was later affirmed as a pancreatic pseudocyst on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The MRI abdomen demonstrated a well-defined cystic mass measuring 9.5 x 6.0 cm with smooth margins, suggestive of a pancreatic pseudocyst. The patient underwent successful ultrasound (U/S)-guided pseudocyst drainage at 33rd weeks of gestation. Following close antenatal monitoring, she safely delivered a viable male infant at 36th weeks via an emergency cesarean section (C-section).